Automatic test equipment is used to test electronic boards or cards and systems to make certain that they are properly operating. The automatic test equipment typically uses coaxial patchboard systems such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,341,801 and 4,134,631. In one embodiment of the '631 patent, coaxial cable leads have one of their ends terminated to coaxial plug connectors and these are to be electrically connected into complementary coaxial receptacle connectors secured in holes in a dielectric connector block. The other ends of the coaxial cables are terminated to electrical terminals in a connector housing which is mounted on a printed circuit card with the electrical terminals thereof connected to ground and signal paths thereon. The cards are secured to respective connector blocks and the coaxial plug connectors electrically connected to respective complementary coaxial receptacle connectors.
This arrangement is costly because of the labor and parts involved in terminating ends of coaxial cables to connectors and mounting the card connector on the card. Such an arrangement also takes up space on the card which is needed for the components that form the test circuits on the card.